


Desert Song

by Tisha_Wyman



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Desert, Gen, Skinwalkers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-22
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-04-16 15:47:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 7,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4630998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tisha_Wyman/pseuds/Tisha_Wyman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam and Dean hunt a skin walker in the desert, ending up in a canyon. Both men face challenges in the desert heat and cold nights as they try to make it back to the Impala, miles away. They come to realize they are being hunted. This story is set in season 8 between Torn and Frayed and Larping and the Real Girl. I do not own or make money from SPN, Sam, or Dean.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Desert Song

Dean had forgotten how cold a desert could turn at night. He walked across the sands, keeping his flashlight turned off. The light of the full moon was enough for him. He had dropped Sam off at the other end of the dry river bed they were following. The idea had been to trap the skin walker between them. This one was taking on the form of a mountain lion. Both the rifle and handgun he carried were loaded with silver bullets.

The river bed entered a canyon. Sam felt nervous upon entering the area. The skin walker could be above him as well as in front of him. It was taking time to go among the boulders in the canyon. He had worn only a blue jean jacket and the temperature was dropping fast.

Dean climbed among the boulders on his side of the river bed, wondering how close Sam was to him. He was not happy about the canyon and being separated while in it. Every ounce of information they had gathered said it was just a dry river bed. The Shaman on the reservation had not told them everything.

Sam took the time to look at his watch in the moonlight. It was three in the morning. He rubbed his eyes and kept going. He hoped Dean didn't get too frustrated and do something stupid. It should never have taken this long, but the boulder ridden canyon was a surprise. He cursed the fact that there had been no WIFI in the area. He felt they had been misled. The younger Winchester wanted to find his brother first, then the skin walker.

Dean found the silence nerve wracking. He would walk a ways, than climb amongst the boulders, looking for signs of a large cat. The man found nothing.

Sam looked at his watch and saw that it was after four in the morning. He sat for a moment and pulled a bottled water from his backpack. After a long drink, the young hunter screwed the cap back on the bottle. He turned to place it in his backpack when he heard a gunshot echoing through the canyon.

"Dean!"


	2. Desert Song

Sam dropped the water, grabbed his shotgun, and ran towards the sound of the shot he'd heard. Fifty feet down the boulder ridden canyon, he caught his foot between smaller rocks and left the ground as he fell. The shotgun hit the ground somewhere in front of him. Sam had heard a snap when he stepped between the rocks, and felt a large pain as he hit the ground and everything went black.

Dean lifted himself off the ground, his right leg throbbing. He winced as he picked up his shotgun. He looked at the man lying on the ground near him. A short time earlier, a large cat jumped him from behind. He'd felt its claws scrape down his leg. The hunter had fallen forward but had managed to hold on to his weapon. Dean rolled over and shot into the air at the large cat that was leaping onto him. It fell, dead, on top of him. The cat had been heavy and knocked the air out of him. Gasping for breath, he pushed the man off of him.

The skin walker was dead. Dean thought he'd heard his brother call his name. He called Sam's name but heard no reply. He could feel blood oozing from the cuts on his leg. The man swore under his breath. The moon had gone behind some clouds. He looked up with some curiosity. Clouds in the desert? The hunter wondered how often it actually rained there.

His leg was hurting, but it didn't seem to be pouring blood. He had to find Sam. His brother had the duffel with the first aid kit. The hunter looked for a large stick, or limb off some of the mesquite trees, he could use to help him walk with the injured leg. Finding nothing appropriate, Dean cursed again and headed in the direction his brother's voice had come from.

Forty-five minutes later, the older Winchester saw something on the ground in the distance. He focused his flashlight and saw his brother.

"Sam!"

Dean hurried as fast as his leg would allow and reached his brother's side. He fell to the ground and began to check the man for wounds. Sam's left leg looked wrong. Dean felt it and a bone moved. He groaned deep inside. His brother had a cut and a lump on his forehead.

"Damn it, Sammy. What are we supposed to do now?" Dean reached for his cell forgetting there was no signal. He sat by his brother, exhaustion and a feeling of despair going through him.

"What the hell do I do?" Thoughts of Cas went through his mind, but after what happened with Alfie, Dean was afraid to call his friend.

The hunter took another bottle of water out of his duffel and searched for Sam's. It had been dropped in the fall, but Dean had no idea about that. He managed to get up and began his search.

The older Winchester leaned his head back and stared at the stars.

A lone wail could be heard echoing over the canyons, as he cried out in frustration.


	3. Desert Song

Dean stood still for a few moments, allowing the anger and despair to flow through him. He needed the strength from the anger. The man walked around the area, finding Sam's shotgun. The duffel had been thrown a ways from his brother. Dean took his knife and began looking for a better group of trees and limbs than where he was attacked. He cut a large number of branches, dragging them to where Sam lay unconscious.

The older man found a lot of plant life that looked and felt like rope. He had no idea what it was, but was grateful for it. Dean turned his brother over onto his back. He made a splint and set the leg. Sam screamed. The older man jumped when it happened. He turned the flashlight to look at his brother's face. Sam was still unconscious. Dean bandaged his brother's head and left him lying where he'd found him. 

For the next hour or so, Dean made a stretcher from the branches, vines, and leaves he found in the canyon. He could tell the sun had risen but the sky was gray. He looked up at the clouds and hoped it would not rain.

Exhaustion was setting in and the pain from the scratches began to intensify. Dean realized he was stupid not have taken care of that, but his fear over Sam blotted it out of his mind. Going to the duffel with the first aid kit, He took out water, the bottle of whiskey, and some antiseptic ointment. It was difficult to tend to the wounds on the back of his leg, but he did the best he could. He tied the shotguns to Sam's duffel and laid it on the stretcher.

Taking a deep breath, Dean lifted his brother and placed him on the stretcher. He carefully tied the young man to the stretcher to keep him from falling off. Walking towards the head of the stretcher, Dean leaned down and picked up the handles that were the remainder of the sides of the framework. Gritting his teeth, he turned to where his back was toward the stretcher and began to drag it.


	4. Desert Song

Dean dragged the litter bearing his brother until the sun was straight above him and the man could feel its heat. He glanced at the sky. The clouds were gone.

"So much for rain," the hunter muttered. He sat down on a boulder and removed his jacket and long-sleeved shirt. He found some small branches, rose to his feet and made a small shelter on the stretcher to cover Sam's face.

"Damn it, Sammy. We're in a mess," he murmured. Dean sat back down and took a few sips of water. After resting for a few minutes, the older Winchester rose and knelt down beside his brother. He attempted to give the unconscious man some water. He watched it trickle down the younger man's face and sighed.

Placing the water back in the backpack he was carrying, the hunter picked up the end of the litter and began to pull it again. He made several stops similar to this one and could never get water down his brother's throat.

Looking at his watch, Dean noted that is was almost 5:30. He was exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and hurting. He found himself stumbling and finally sat down by his brother.

"Sammy, you need to wake up, man," he spoke wearily. "I know you can't do much with the leg, but damn it, Sammy; I need you."

Dean dozed off for a short while. When the hunter awoke, the sun was setting. He could tell by the change in temperature and the darkness in some areas of the canyon. He felt trapped within its walls; not remembering it going this far.

The older brother picked up the stretcher and walked until the darkness made it impossible to go further. He sat down, wishing he was in the Impala. The main thing was to get back to his baby, and Dean knew he was moving slow. The temperature got colder. Finally, the hunter turned on his flashlight and looked for dry timber. Stacking some wood, the young man made a fire to keep the two of them warm.

He struggled to stay awake and protect his brother, but the lack of food and the injured leg compounded the exhaustion and Dean finally fell asleep.


	5. Desert Song

Dean woke feeling that something wasn't right. He slowly turned over and saw someone leaning over Sam. Slowly pulling his gun out from under him, the hunter pointed it at the shape in the dark.

"You wanna tell me what the hell you're doing?" the hoarse sounding voice asked and the sound of the Colt being cocked was loud in the quietness of the canyon.

The figure straightened and moved slowly towards the armed man.

"You may attempt to harm me, Dean Winchester, but it will do you know good. I am not here," the Shaman spoke as he appeared within the light of the dying fire.

"You look here to me and it's easy enough to find out, but I won't fire. We need help," the exhausted man answered softly.

"I found the remains of the skin walker. You did not bury him."

"With what? I'm injured, I have no shovel, and Sam's in bad shape," I put some rocks over him the best I could, but I didn't have the time to cover him with a large amount of small rocks and there were mainly boulders there," the hunter was growing angry.

"I cannot help you," the elderly man replied.

"Damn it! Look at him! We need help."

"You lied when you told me you were studying my peoples' beliefs. Instead, you killed a skin walker."

"He was killing people. It's my job to hunt him down."

"There are many skin walkers, Dean Winchester. You made a terrible mistake by killing this one. There are others out there. I will not help you. You committed a crime."

"A crime? I killed a cat that turned back into a human and you know it," Dean was getting angrier. "We need help. You can't just leave us out here."

"I will leave the two of you here to be judged by the Spirits. If you survive, they have forgiven you. If you die, it is justice."

"Wait a minute! I'm the one who shot him. At least help Sam," the hunter pleaded.

"He hunted with you, Dean Winchester. This is the trial for you both. I will not intervene."

Before Dean could move, the Shaman disappeared.

He sat back and uncocked his gun. "What do we do now? Damn."

The hunter built up the fire and stayed awake. Fear of other skin walkers finding them in the dark coursed through him. He dragged his brother closer to the fire and covered him with his jacket. Sitting with his back against a boulder, he watched the dark for any sign of life and waited for morning.


	6. Desert Song

Dean was struggling to stay awake. His eyes would close but he refused to let them stay that way. Struggling, the hunter rose and put some more wood on the fire. He tried to give his brother some water, and for the first time, Sam drank it.

"Sammy?" Dean turned his flashlight onto his brother's face. The eyes were twitching. The older man sobbed when he heard a slight moan.

"Sammy, can you hear me?"

"You don't have to shout at me, Dean. My head is killing me." The tall man tried to move and the older hunter saw the panic on his face.

"It's okay, Sammy. I had to tie you down."

"What! Dean, why the hell did you tie me down," Sam asked him in confusion.

"You got a bad break in your leg and you were out cold. There was a cut and a large knot on your head, man."

"Untie me," Sam demanded.

Dean cut the ropes and helped his brother sit up. "I got a little bit of food in your backpack. I was saving it until we got desperate."

"What's going on?" the younger brother asked.

Dean filled him in on what had happened. Sam stared at him.

"The Shaman thinks we're murderers? Dean, the thing was a monster."

"Yeah, well…maybe we got this one wrong one," Dean sighed.

"He jumped you, Dean. That's why you killed him. You got one that attacked you. If he didn't commit the murders, than there's more than one that is out here attacking people."

"I'm not stupid, Sam. I know that. It's why I'm awake and have been since the Shaman showed up. As soon as it's daylight, we'll move again."

"You can't keep dragging me,' Sam stated.

"Your leg isn't gonna let you walk, Sam."

Sam's nostrils flared and he took the gun and let his brother get a couple of hours sleep.


	7. Desert Song

Sam nudged his brother with a shotgun. Dean jumped and his gun came up. The younger man could see the dark circles under the older hunter's eyes. He shook his head.

"Dean, I wish I could let you sleep, but those aren't normal clouds. They're moving too fast."

Running his hands over his eyes, the older man looked up and cursed. He grabbed the two backpacks and a shotgun. Handing one backpack to Sam, he put the shotgun strap and a backpack strap over a shoulder and grabbed the litter.

"Dean, help me make a crutch. I can walk that way," Sam spoke urgently.

"Damn it, Sammy, the bone is moving. You can't walk with it that way. It can rip through the muscle and skin. We don't have what's needed to keep that intact. Okay?"

"If those clouds start pouring down on us, there's gonna be a flash flood."

"Yeah, I know. So shut up and let me pull this damn thing," Dean ordered as he began pulling the litter as fast as he could. His leg was throbbing worse, but he didn't believe he had the time to look at it right at that moment.

The Winchesters managed to travel for a half hour, when Dean's leg gave out. Sam could hear him swearing. He managed to crawl off the litter and move towards his brother.

"What the hell is wrong?"

At that inopportune moment, the heavens opened and a cloudburst began to pour down into the canyon. Both boys looked up in shock at the torrential downpour that was soaking everything.

Dean struggled to stand and Sam was trying to pull him down.

"Stop it, Sammy!"

"What's wrong with your leg?"

"I got clawed. Now let's get the hell outta here!"

"Not 'til I look at it."

The argument was stopped by the loud roar that echoed through the canyon.

"Shit!" Dean yelled as the wall of water bounced off walls as it raced towards them.


	8. Desert Song

"Sammy! Grab your shotgun and backpack!" Dean grabbed his brother and dragged him towards the canyon wall and the higher boulders. He took a deep breath and lifted his brother towards the top of one of the large rocks. Sam managed to grab hold of a mesquite that was sticking out of the canyon wall and pull himself up.

"Hold on to that damn tree and don't let go!" Dean turned to see how much time he had when the water crashed into him, knocking him off his feet. Sam screamed his name but his brother was no longer there. He had been carried off by the rushing torrent.

The rain continued to pour down and the torrential waters continued to flood the canyon. Sam knew they would flow out into the desert once they had cleared the rock walls. He held onto the tree and huddled there, tears flowing down his face; his sobbing drowned out by the roar of the water echoing off the canyon walls.

Slowly the waters began to recede. The younger Winchester leaned his head against the canyon wall and trembled. His brother was gone. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't get down with his broken leg. Sam sighed, knowing he was trapped.

The thoughts kept repeating themselves in the hunter's mind. When he was not thinking about his situation, he thought of his brother. He couldn't do this without Dean. Hell, he couldn't live without Dean. He had come to realize it recently. They needed each other.

"Dean" was heard softly echoing down the canyon walls.


	9. Desert Song

The force of the waters threw Dean backwards, knocking the hunter off his feet. The undertow dragged him under. Struggling to break the power of the undertow, Dean lost his shotgun and backpack. Neither loss registered in his mind during his struggle to survive the waters.

The older Winchester finally breached the top of the flood and found himself being thrown to and fro in the powerful current and waves. At one point, he was hurled against a large, sharp boulder. He felt the snapping in his chest and fought to breathe. Where he was thrown was above the water level. The sharpness in the boulder formed a small ledge. Struggling, Dean managed to pull himself onto the ledge and rolled onto his back, sucking in air, painfully.

"Damn it. What else can go wrong," the hunter whispered to himself. "I gotta go back and get Sammy," Dean muttered as he struggled to stay awake. The lack of a good night's sleep, physical exhaustion, and shock from his latest injury pulled him into oblivion. The older brother fell asleep.

The spirit of the Shaman watched the waters recede as they followed the dry riverbed into the desert. The old man allowed his mind to flow to where Sam leaned against the rock wall.

"The Spirit Guides are finding you guilty. You will not get down from there without your brother. I do not see him."

The Shaman searched further and frowned when he saw Dean asleep on the ledge. He smiled after he explored Dean's surroundings.

"You have no weapons, Winchester, and you are injured worse than you were. I look forward to what happens to you after this."

With a sudden jerk, the older brother woke, moaning loudly and holding his chest.

"Damn it," he swore.

Dean slowly worked his way down the large boulder and searched the area for his weapons and backpack. Shaking his head, he slowly made his way back to where he left Sam.


	10. Desert Song

The evaporating water made the humidity in the canyon rise. Dean was still damp from his time in the waters, and the humidity was making him sweat profusely. The sun was almost overhead and beating down upon injured man. The hunter wiped the sweat from his eyes, and missing a step, he fell to the ground with a loud moan.

"Damn it," the older Winchester choked out as he tried to get a deep breath. He finally managed to stumble to his feet and keep going. In Dean's mind was the picture of Sam on the top of the large rock, holding onto a mesquite branch, one leg in a splint, and no way down.

The heat from the sun caused the remaining water to evaporate. The hunter felt as if he were in a steam room. It made breathing more difficult. Stumbling again, Dean was unable to catch himself as he fell. Raising his head, the injured man had a bad coughing fit, doubled up, and held his chest in agony. The last cough brought up blood. Dean looked at it and wondered if it was his throat or his lungs.

The hunter rolled onto his back to try to ease his breathing. He saw the Shaman on the canyon's edge. Anger gave him the strength he needed to stand up, and he did so, defiantly.

"You may think you're winning, but I'm not dead! I won't die easily," he shouted to the old man. Dean had a sporadic burst of coughing. He stood straight again and yelled, "I'll get my brother out of here. Then, I'm coming for you!"

He heard the echoing laughter of the Shaman and the man disappeared.

"Damn," Dean muttered, wiping blood drops from his mouth and chin.

He looked up at the sun and searched for a walking stick. The waters had taken anything loose with them. Shaking his head, the hunter resumed his slow tread towards the large boulder and Sam.


	11. Desert Song

Dean walked slowly for the next five hours. It was still daylight, but he could no longer see the sun. Shadows filled areas of the canyon. He hoped there would be enough moonlight to walk by when it finally grew dark.

Stumbling and falling became the norm for the injured hunter. The clawed leg kept up a steady, painful throb, and the coughing halted his progress. With a stubbornness those who knew him could attest to, the oldest Winchester forced himself to continue on. He had no water, no food, and no medicines to help him. All he had was the need to get to Sam and a silver knife he kept in a sheath on his leg.

Exhaustion and pain were making it more difficult to stay on his feet. The hunter's tongue felt swollen from thirst. His lips had cracked open. Sunburn blistered his pale skin.

Darkness began to seep into the canyon, making it hard to see. Dean found a rock tall enough to sit on and not make it difficult to stand up again. He wiped his forehead and coughed again.

It was at this moment that a large cat jumped him. He could barely see it as he went down and rolled, reaching for the blade under his pants leg.

Listening for movement and the animal's breathing, Dean held the blade in an attack posture. He had no intention of fighting defensively. In his condition, it would only kill him.

The hunter heard a rustle to his right and forced himself to move quickly out of the way as the cat leaped into the air. He reached up with the blade in both hands as he got a glimpse of the animal. The silver blade entered the cat's stomach and Dean ripped it open as he tore into it. The large animal screamed in shrill shriek and turned into a man as it hit the ground.

Dean Winchester sat still on the ground beside the dead skin walker. He leaned over and pulled his knife out of the stomach as the entrails poured out behind it. Wiping the blade off on the Native American's leather leggings, he cried out with the pain the movement had caused. Killing the creature had cost him dearly, but he was still alive.

He rose to his feet, breathing hard. "How many more of you bastards are out there?" the hunter spoke in a hoarse whisper.

Standing still, he held the knife in the air and shouted, "I'm still alive, you son of a bitch. Another one of your monsters is dead!" The older Winchester slowly turned and continued towards his brother.


	12. Desert Song

By the time the sunrise began, Dean was on his last legs. He could barely keep moving. The clawed leg would hardly hold his weight and he could no longer get a deep breath.

He stumbled through the night, refusing to stop for any length of time. When the sun had finally risen, he looked into the distance and saw the large boulder.

The hunter moved slowly but steadily towards the rock that held his brother. All he could think of was rescuing Sam and finding some way to get out of the canyon and finding his Baby. The thought of air conditioning was almost better than the thought of sex at the moment.

An hour later, he reached the base of the rock. Sam was asleep and had not seen him coming.

Dean could barely talk by this time. He lifted a rock and tossed it towards the top of the huge boulder. Sam jumped when heard the rock hit the top and slide off.

The younger Winchester looked down, "Dean?"

"Hey, Sammy," came a hoarse reply. "You ready to get the hell out of here?"

"Hell, yeah," came an excited reply. "I thought you were dead and I'd end up dying here."

"Toss me the shotgun and the backpack," the older man replied, and caught both items. "Okay, Sammy. Slide down to me and I'll catch you."

Dean managed to break the slide and both men hit the ground; Sam on top of his brother.

"Man, Dean. I'm so glad to see you." Sam looked at his brother and saw how red and blistered his face looked. "Are you okay?"

"Don't really know, Sammy. Please tell me there's still some water in our duffel."

Sam opened the duffel and took a bottle of water and handed it to his brother. Dean was so weak at this point he could barely unscrew the cap. The younger brother realized that there had been no water for the older man since the rains. He took the water from the man and told him to drink it slowly or he'd just get sick. Dean began to sip it, struggling to keep from drinking it down in one breath.

Sam began to check his brother. He found the massive bruises on his back, side, and front of the right side of his chest. He stared into the injured man's eyes and saw the pain there.

"Damn it, Dean. What happened?"

The younger man listened to what his brother told him. "Shit, Dean, how are we gonna do this?"

"Gotta find a better way to splint your leg and make a crutch for you. Then, we walk outta here and we kill that son of a bitch."

Sam knew they had no choice, so he looked around for possible wood for a better splint. He crawled over the damp sand of the river bed and found some pieces of wood that had drifted on the waters.

Looking at Dean, he decided to let him rest, gritted his teeth, and reset the splint with what he had in his duffel med kit. He looked at his brother's leg and groaned. The leg had red streaks going down it and was badly swollen.

Sam dressed the leg and found the antibiotics in the med kit and made the older hunter take one.

"We're gonna let you rest for a while and then we'll head on."

Dean didn't even argue.


	13. Desert Song

Sam allowed Dean to sleep several hours, against his better judgment. They needed every second of daylight to move toward the canyon exit and the Impala, but his brother was in worse shape than his own leg.

The older man moaned in his sleep and woke with a jump. He cried out in pain. The younger hunter moved closer and put the bottle of water up to the waking man's lips. Dean tried to sip the water, but he was so thirsty.

"Dean," Sam said urgently. "We only have a few bottles left. Let's take it slow."

Sam watched his brother as he nodded slowly, noting the sunburn had made his freckles more dominant on his face. He hid a small smile, remembering the man as a child. He had teased him a couple of times about the spots.

"Share the joke, Sammy," the hoarse voice spoke softly. "I could use something funny right now."

"I was just remembering when we were kids, and I used to tease you about your freckles."

"Oh."

"I found enough branches to make two walking sticks, Dean. We should be able to move a little faster that way. You ready?"

"Yeah, man. Let's get out of here."

Sam managed to get onto both legs and winced, but his splinting and the tight use of tape helped to hold the bones together a little better. He reached down and handed a walking stick to his brother.

"Thanks, Sammy," the hunter whispered and he grabbed hold of the stick and pushed into the ground, using the stick to pick himself up. When he managed to stand on both feet, holding himself up, he groaned and cursed, "Shit!"

The two brothers leaned on each other's shoulders and helped support one another. The slow trek out of the canyon was begun.


	14. Desert Song

Walking out of the canyon was taking its toll on both of the Winchesters. The injured legs made the going slow, but the coughing fits Dean was experiencing brought him to the ground. Sam noticed the blood and worried.

The hours passed slowly as the heat of the sun drained the strength from both of the men. Dean slid to the ground and sat still.

"Dean, we have to keep going," Sam insisted.

"I can't, Sam," the tired voice was barely a whisper. "I don't have anything left. I can't do it."

"Get up, Dean. You're not staying behind to face those things alone. Get the hell up, now!"

The older hunter looked up at his brother. Sam could see the dark circles below the green eyes. He knew his brother was in a bad way, but he also knew he'd die if Sam left him there.

"You're not dying on me, Dean. Are you gonna let that bastard win?"

The hunter stared into his brother's hazel eyes. "No," he whispered and struggled to rise. Sam reached down and helped the best he could.

The two men struggled in the dark, stopping for rest breaks. Another attack occurred while the two men were walking. Dean was knocked to the ground with another mountain lion on top of him. Sam shot the cat and watched it fall on top of his brother.

With Sam's help, Dean was able to push the man off. Sam examined his brother and found some bites on his neck. Bandaging them, the younger brother gave the older man a drink of water and another antibiotic.

"Let's keep going, man," he spoke softly.

Dean sighed, held up a hand for help. "I didn't know you were into torture, Sammy. I need to remember that next time we have to question someone."

Smiling, the younger man, grabbed the shotgun he'd dropped and the two men continued to help each other through the canyon.


	15. Desert Song

By midmorning of the next day, Sam saw the opening to the canyon. He kept talking to his brother, urging him to keep going. Dean was faltering, barely able to stay on his feet.

"There's the end of the canyon," the younger man sounded excited.

The green eyes squinted in the sunlight and Dean Winchester took a shallow, stuttering breath as he spoke, "I didn't think we'd make it, man"

"We did. The car isn't far from there, Man. There's water and air conditioning in your baby. We're almost there."

"Okay, let's go find her," the hunter spoke in a hoarse voice.

"I'll drive you to the nearest hospital, Dean."

"No…we find that son of a bitch first," Dean started choking and was back on his knees, coughing up more blood.

"Hold on, Dean. Please. Hold on."

The older brother nodded and tried to rise to his feet. Sam could hear the moans and almost whimpers as the smaller man fought to regain an ability to stand he was on the verge of losing completely.

The taller man cried out in pain after leaning over, putting his arms under his brother's armpits, and lifting the man to his feet. The younger brother stumbled slightly and regained his footing, keeping most of the weight on his good leg. Dean leaned back against his brother's chest, sobbing slightly.

"Damn it, Sammy. We're in a bad mess here," he murmured.

"I know, Dean, but at least we're alive. Let's go."

After an hours walk, the boys reached the spot where they left the Impala. The car was gone. The older man collapsed to the ground, "No! The bastards stole my baby! Sammy, they got my car!"

The taller brother knelt in the sand and held the seriously injured man and closed his eyes, trying to decide what to do. They were in the middle of the desert, the water was gone, and their car was nowhere in sight.

"I'm thinking, Dean. Give me some time to figure out what to do. Close your eyes and rest a bit. I'll find a way." Dean was on his knees, his head leaning against his brother's chest, his arms hanging loosely by his side. Sam knew that the man was at the end of his ropes and would be no help to him at the moment.


	16. Desert Song

Sam held his brother for over an hour when an idea came to him. Laying Dean on the sand, he covered his face lightly, keeping the hot rays from burning the man's face more than they already had.

Forcing himself to rise and walk, he felt a slight movement of the bone in his leg and hoped it would not break more and come through the muscle and skin. He found the old river bed and began to look for wood that would have washed out of the canyon. It took the man several hours to find enough wood to build a bonfire. Opening his backpack, he removed a small can of starter fluid and some matches. In the bottom of the pack, he spotted on bottle of water. Grateful to the powers that be, he opened the water and drank a small amount. Lifting Dean, he raised his brother's head and gave him some of the water.

"Not too much, Dean. I found this one in the bottom of my backpack. The taller hunter helped the smaller one sit up. Dean squinted in the bright light and saw the wood pile.

"What the hell is that?"

"I remembered that the border patrol goes over this area because illegal aliens come this way to avoid being caught. They use helicopters, Dean. Remember the ones we saw in the town we drove through on the way to the reservation? They're gonna be loud enough to be heard. I'll set fire to this and draw their attention. We'll get help."

The older man stared at his brother, "Okay, Sammy."

After the sun went down, the Shaman appeared and stood between the brothers. Sam raised the shotgun and watched.

"You should not be alive. The Spirits cannot want this. It would seem my skin walkers are not strong enough to handle you."

Dean almost smirked, and the old man was irritated by it.

"How are you even alive? I know how sick you are."

"Somebody likes me," the injured man commented.

At that point, the Shaman turned into a large eagle and attacked Sam. The shotgun flew into the air. The bird flew at a fast speed, talons stretched out and aimed at the younger man.

"Sam," Dean shouted with what voice he had left. He managed to rise and put all of his strength into reaching the younger man. Sam held his arm out at an angle, blocking the large bird from reaching his face and neck. He didn't see his brother until the man was on top of him.

Dean pinned the eagle between himself and his younger brother. He grabbed the silver knife he still carried and stabbed into the eagle's back, severing the spinal cord, and sliding the blade up into the heart. The force of the attack caused a small explosion. Dean was thrown back. Sam lost consciousness.

At the moment the blast occurred, the older hunter saw animals grab the Shaman and drag him away. The man was screaming.

Dean heard a different noise. The blast attracted the Border Patrol. He crawled to the pile of wood, poured the lighter fluid over it and lit it off. The hunter felt the high winds of chopper blades and it was all he remembered.


	17. Desert Song

Dean woke in a room filled with electronic equipment. The walls were painted a light gray. He felt a hard gurney-type table beneath him. A breathing machine was attached to him. The machine eased the pain of taking a deep breath. The older Winchester didn't feel quite as bad.

The young hunter tried to talk but his voice was incredibly hoarse.

"He's awake, Doctor," a woman's voice commented.

"Where's anesthesiology? I need him under."

The older Winchester's mind was foggy but he understood the word, "under."

"Good, there you are. We need to go in, stat."

The green eyes almost crossed as the injured man tried to focus on the mask someone behind him was placing over his face. He made an attempt to stop the mask from reaching his face, but his hands wouldn't move. They were strapped down.

A confused mumble of "What the hell?" could be heard erupting from the patient

"Breathe deeply, Sir. It's important they take care of you right now"

"Wha…?" Dean was asleep.

Sam lay on a gurney in the emergency room, waiting for an orthopedic doctor to arrive and look at the x-rays. His leg was throbbing and his head hurt. The doctors had informed him he had a concussion. They planned to keep him for a few days to monitor the injuries, but weren't sure if he needed surgery for his leg.

He kept asking questions about Dean and was getting no answers. Frustration was not helping him. When asked about next of kin, the nurse wanted someone besides Dean. Sam finally gave her Garth's number and said he was a step brother.

The orthopedic surgeon suggested surgery to keep the bone strong and allow it to heal. Sam was not happy but agreed and signed the papers. He'd already signed Dean's.

The younger brother asked about Dean one more time and was told he had regained consciousness before the anesthesiologist put him under. Sam was moved to a gurney and taken to the surgical area.

"We are going to prep you, Mr. Winchester. Blood work was done and an IV was inserted. Soon, he was moved into an operating room and someone told him to breathe.


	18. Desert Song

Sam blinked his eyes and kept sticking his tongue out of his mouth, making funny faces. His head cleared and he looked around him. He was in a private room and wondered where he was.

A woman walked in and stood at the foot of his bed, hands on her hips.

"It's about time you woke up, Sam Winchester."

The hunter stared at her for a moment. "Mrs. Tran?" was his hoarse response.

"Yes, they operated on you yesterday. They said you might be unconscious for a while due to the concussion," Kevin's mother answered.

"What time is it?"

"It is four in the afternoon."

"That's a long time. How's Dean?"

"I don't know. Garth sent me here and headed up to ICU," the woman responded as she pulled a chair up to Sam's bedside and sat down."

"Garth? ICU!" Sam pressed the button for a nurse.

A male nurse entered the room. "Can I help you, Sir?"

Sam tried to take several deep breaths but all he could think of was Dean waking up in ICU and freaking out.

"My brother, Dean Winchester, is in ICU. I think we ought to be in the same room. He's not gonna handle this very well. He'll pull out the IV if he's awake enough."

"I'll see what I can do, Mr. Winchester."

Dean slowly opened his eyes and licked his lips. He felt tired, sore, and incredibly thirsty.

"Hello?" His voice was barely a whisper, "Damn it. Sammy?"

"Hey, Dean," Garth said as he stood up from a chair near the hunter's bed.

Garth stared into a pair of highly confused green eyes.

"Where am I? Hell, where's Sammy? Is that bastard dead?"

"Well, you're in the hospital. Sam is in a room two floors down, and I don't know who the bastard is, Dean."

The hunter tried to sit up on the side of the bed, reaching for tubes and wires. Garth pressed an emergency button and tried to convince the man to lay back down.

A doctor and several nurses ran into the room. Dean attempted to fight them off, but he was too weak.

"No, please. Sammy!"

A few minutes passed and Dean had been given a sedative. He was not unconscious. The drug was more of an 'I Don't Give a Damn' medication. Garth was speaking to the doctor when the request from Sam was brought to the ICU.

A conference was held. Intermediate Care was on the third floor. A room was set up with the equipment needed to monitor the older brother and what Sam needed also.

Sam was resting in the new room when his brother was brought down. The younger man sat up as Dean's bed was rolled into the room and set up closer to the door.

After all the medical equipment was hooked up, the nurse gave the older hunter a slight shot of pain medicine to work with the sedative.

Dean breathed slowly and his brother heard a slight sob.

I'm here, Dean. We're gonna be fine."

"Sammy?"

"Yeah? What happened to that son of a bitch? The explosion knocked me for a loop. I thought I saw him get carried away."

"I'm sorry, but I was out cold."

The hunter sighed. "Did anyone find my Baby?"

"We have it, Dean," Garth answered from the door.

"Garth? What the hell?"

Sam sighed softly, "I listed him as next of kin, Dean. We couldn't do it for each other since both of us were in here. How are you feeling?"

The green eyes looked slightly glazed over, "Like shit, Sammy. Garth?"

"Yeah, Dean?"

"Is my baby all right?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I'm gonna let you two get some rest. You've been through hell and back from what the doctors told me. Get some sleep. I'll be back later."

Sam watched his older brother doze off and laid back down and closed his eyes. He suddenly felt exhausted.


	19. Desert Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of the story. It is completed.

Sam was allowed to leave the hospital in four days, but Dean had to remain. The doctors were working to kill a nasty infection in his leg. Due to this, his lung was healing slowly.

Mrs. Tran and Garth took turns staying with him. Garth always brought Sam up for a visit. Dean was irritable, feeling the hunt wasn't finished. He was constantly asking if there was news of any other killings. The answer was always 'No.'

After twelve days, the hunter was released. The doctor recommended rest and Sam made his brother promise to stay put for a couple of days. Dean wanted to go home and heal in his own room. The younger Winchester knew this and was working to make sure it happened.

Garth and Mrs. Tran headed out the morning the two were planning to leave. By this time, the woman had learned to forgive Dean and like him again.

Sam was checking the best route to get home when someone knocked at the door. Dean limped over and answered it.

A Native American stood there. The hunter froze for a second.

"You must have the wrong room," Dean said as he began to close the door.

"I am looking for the hunters who ended a reign of terror. Both of you have the feel of men who have been at war recently," the man responded.

Sam grabbed his crutches and moved towards the door. The man turned to him. He gazed at the taller man, taking in his size and weight.

Turning back to Dean, he commented, "You are stronger than you look, Dean Winchester. You had those cuts in your leg and they were infected. Still, you carried him on a litter. You went further after almost drowning and the damage to your lung should have killed you. The old Shaman went after you more than this one. Why?"

Sam saw his brother turn red and watched him try to shake off the question and ignore it.

"Dean?"

"All right, I irritated his ass to keep him away from you. Besides, he pissed me off."

Their visitor laughed, "I like you, Dean Winchester. The Shaman is dead. He used too many innocent spirit guides and their walkers. He deserved what they did to him. I want you to know he is gone for good and the evil with him. Thank you." The Native American turned and walked away.

Sam shut the door and stared at his brother.

"Sooner or later, you're gonna get yourself killed, Dean."

"Yeah, I know, but not this time. Can we go home now?"

"Yeah, let's go."

Dean drove out of the motel parking lot and headed towards Lebanon, Kansas.


End file.
